Yggdrasil

In Norse Mythology, Yggdrasil (also Mimameid and Lerad) was the "World tree", a gigantic tree (often suggested to be an ash, an interpretation generally accepted in the modern Scandinavian mind), thought to hold all of the different worlds, such as Asgard, Midgard, Utgard and Hel. Another possibility is that the tree was formerly conceived of as a yew, consistent with its Eddic attribute of being evergreen.

Etymology

The most commonly accepted etymology of the name is ygg "terrible" + drasil "steed". Yggr is taken to be an epithet of Odin, giving a meaning of "Odin's steed", taken to refer to the nine nights Odin is said to have spent hanging from the tree in order find the runes. The gallows are sometimes described in Old Norse poetry as the "horse of the hanged." Another interpretation of the name is "terrible horse", i. e. the association with Odin may be secondary. A third interpretation, with etymological difficulties, is "yew-column", associating the tree with the Eihwaz rune ᛇ. Yggdrasil is also known as Mimameidr in Old Norse.

Yggdrasil in the Edda

Three roots supported the trunk, with one passing through Asgard, one through Midgard and one through Helheim. Beneath the Asgard root lay the sacred Well of Urd, and there dwelt the three Nornor, over whom even the gods had no power, and who, every day, watered the tree from the primeval fountain, so that its boughs remained green; and beneath the Midgard root lay the spring or well of Mimir.

The messenger in the tree (and thus between the worlds) was the squirrel, Ratatosk. In the top of the tree was perched a giant eagle (with a hawk upon its forehead) who blew the winds over the worlds with his mighty wings. The Niflheim roots of Yggdrasil were gnawed at by a dragon, Nidhogg. Heidrun, a goat, lived on top of Yggdrasil and ate its leaves. Four stags fed on the bark of Yggdrasil, including Dvalin.

The name Yggdrasil interpreted as "Odin's steed" is taken to Odin's self-sacrifice described in the Havamal (although the tree is not explicitly identified as Yggdrasil):

I hung on that windy tree for nine nights wounded by my own spear.

I hung to that tree, and no one knows where it is rooted.

None gave me food. None gave me drink. Into the abyss I stared

until I spied the runes. I seized them up, and, howling, fell.

The Germanic custom of hanging sacrificial victims from trees was probably in reference to this myth (see also Human sacrifice, Tyr). In 1950, the preserved corpse of the so-called "Tollund Man" was found in a peat bog in Jutland. The excellent level of preservation made it possible to deduce that he had been ritually hanged and respectfully consigned to the bog, not more than a hundred yards from where a ritually hanged woman had been found some decades previously.

Many people have discussed the parallels between Odin's self-sacrifice in search of knowledge and the Crucifixion, particularly as Odin, like Jesus, was pierced with a spear before death. However, while possibly influenced by Christianity the myth certainly has pre-Christian origins.

Yggdrasil is also central in the myth of Ragnarok, the end of the world. The only two humans to survive Ragnarok (there are some survivors among the gods), Lif and Lifthrasir, are able to escape by sheltering in the branches of Yggdrasil, where they feed on the dew and are protected by the tree.

"The bellowing fire will not scorch them; it will not even touch them, and their food will be the morning dew. Through the branches they will see a new sun burn as the world ends and starts again."

Yggdrasil apparently had smaller counterparts as the enormous evergreen of unknown species that stood at the Temple at Uppsala and Irminsul, which was an oak venerated by the pagan saxons and which was said to connect heaven and earth. The Old Norse form of Irmin was Jörmun and interestingly, just like Ygg, it was one of Odin's names. It appears, then, that Irminsul may have been representing a world tree corresponding to Yggdrasil among the pagan Saxons.

Popular culture

The world-ash features in Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle.

Yggdrasil is the name of a folk band from the Faroe Islands founded by Kristian Blak (Homepage).

In the anime/manga Oh My Goddess!, Yggdrasil is a powerful computer used by Heaven to run the universe.

Yggdrasill is a character in the novel, Infintrinity: The beginning, by Eric Nordgren

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Yggdrasill is considered to be the highest of the Angelus Realm in the novel, Infintrinity, but it is soon found out that he is working to revive the darkest of them all, Trice, who soon takes over the universe, but is stopped by Locke, Celestia, and Blight, The protagonists of the story, the Infintrinity.

quote from Infintrinity: "Lord Yggdrasill, please see. Trice is soon to be revived any moment now." said Nyx. "Good, now have member Delta communicate with Trice's consciousness and find the next step of the operation." said Yggdrasill...:unquote

Yggdrasill is a character featured in the Real-Time RPG Tales of Symphonia.

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Yggdrasill is the character who split the world in two as part of his plot to resurrect his sister, Martel (See Tales of Symphonia for more details.) At the end of the game(as shown in previous games that occur later), the regrown Mana Tree is named Yggdrasill.

Yggdrasil has also played a part in many RPGs besides Tales of Symphonia. In Breath of Fire III he was the Tree of Wisdom and incarnated in the form of Peco, and in Breath of Fire IV he was a Dragon whose help could be called upon through Evocation. Yggdrasil is also mentioned in Valkyrie Profile - though some liberties are taken, it is fairly faithful to the original myth. Likewise in the Korean MMORPG Ragnarok Online Yggdrasil leafs, berries, and seeds all provide beneficial effects to ones character.

Yggdrasil is also the name of Bart's ship in Xenogears.

For an even more esoteric reference, Yggdrasil is one of the "Spirit Cards" that appears in weapon-smithing in Legend of Mana, but that plays no role in the story at all.

Yggdrasil is also the default name of the Zerg Overlord Hero in StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War expansion pack.

Yggdrasil is also the last word in the novel House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. The book, has many ambiguous mythological references. The house presumably referred to in the title is on Ash Tree Lane, leading many of the book's readers to believe that the "House of Leaves" is in fact a metaphor for Yggdrasil.

"Yggdrasill" is the name of a tree ship in Dan Simmons' novel Hyperion.

See also:

• World tree
• Banyan

Disambiguation

• Yggdrasil Linux
• Yggdrasil as featured in Oh My Goddess! (anime series).
• Yggdrasil as featured in Xenogears (videogame).
• Yggdrasill was also the name of The True Voice of the Tree Het Masteen's Treeship, which was sacrificed during the battle for Hyperion in Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos.
• Ygg(drasil) appeared in Roger Zelazny Amber book series as talking tree, marking the border of Chaos lands and Amber lands.